They wowed the world with their fairytale wedding and the births of their two darling children—now Prince William and Kate Middleton, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, are once again adding to their royal family with the recent announcement that the princess is pregnant. The news sets of global excitement and speculation as the waiting game begins for the next junior heir to the throne.
Royal Bloodlines
Kensington Palace released an official announcement stating, “Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Cambridge is expecting their third child. The Queen and members of both families are delighted with the news.” The baby will be the third for the Duke and Duchess; Prince George was born in 2013 and Princess Charlotte in 2015.
The baby will be fifth in line for the throne, after Prince Charles, Prince William, and its siblings, Prince George and Princess Charlotte. Prince William’s brother, Prince Harry, will be bumped down the line to sixth for the throne.
News of an addition to the royal bloodline drew congratulations from around the UK and the world.
“It is fantastic news and she passes on her congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge,” said a spokesperson for prime minister Theresa May.
When asked how he felt about being an uncle for the third time, Prince Harry said, “Fantastic, great, very, very happy for them.”
Pregnancy Complications
Although there had been speculation about a possible third royal baby, the announcement came as somewhat of a surprise. The statement was released earlier than expected out of necessity. The Duchess suffers from hyperemesis gravidarum, or extreme morning sickness, and is being cared for at Kensington Palace. She did not carry out her royal duties on the day of her pregnancy’s announcement when she was scheduled to visit the Hornsey Road Children’s Centre in London. If her health doesn’t improve over the course of the pregnancy, she will likely cut back on her other scheduled visits and royal duties. She faced similar symptoms during her other pregnancies and was hospitalized in 2012 while pregnant with George.
Kate is likely not more than 12 weeks pregnant, meaning the baby is expected to be born early in 2018, probably not before March. Like with her previous children, the pregnancies were announced earlier than normal because of Kate’s condition and her need to adjust her schedule.
Global Speculation
William and Kate have been in the spotlight since their courtship and subsequent wedding, which drew millions of viewers from around the world. As the royal family grew with the birth of their children and as the parents moved into more public roles, the family’s popularity and global fascination with them grew. William and Kate recently moved back to London to take on more royal duties on behalf of the Queen and Prince Philip, who retired from public duties in August. The growing children have been seen at events and traveling on official visits more with their parents as they get older.
As with Kate’s previous pregnancies, speculation about the baby’s gender and name has already begun. Alice and Alexandra were the favourite name options with bookies when Kate was pregnant with Charlotte, and Arthur, James, and Philip were popular options for a boy. People around the world will watch to see if a gender is announced, although the couple did leave the genders of their first two children a surprise. Many people will likely place bets on when the baby will arrive as the due date draws nearer.
The royal family has always captivated the world, and the new baby will be no exception. As the Duchess moves closer to her due date, all eyes will be on the new addition to the most adorable royal line around.